Tough Economic Times

The news about our economy has been pretty bleak. For some time, Houston's job market and economy has been insulated from most of the problems that have crippled other parts of the country. But all of that's starting to change. Friends here are losing jobs. Everyone's retirement funds are tanking. And there doesn't seem to be much hope for a turnaround anytime soon.

In response, I've been making a (weak) effort to cut back on spending lately. For my entire life, I've pretty much indulged my every want without really thinking about it. To this day, I've never stuck to any budget. In fact, I've never actully sat down to write one out.

When THC and I got married, he was pretty horrified to realize that a majority of my lifetime "investments" were sitting in my closet in dustbags or shoeboxes. As part of our discussion about finances, both of us agreed that we should each be entitled to a private "no questions asked" slush fund.

So, the real questions is -- if there are "no questions asked", should I really feel free to spend this money on anything I want? I mean, come on, we're supposed to be "stimulating" the economy, right? Or, in light of the tough times we're in, should I be saving every dime?

The real reason behind this post is that I've been drooling over these Tory Burch boots for 3 weeks.NK would have ordered these puppies in two different colors weeks ago. But married NKC has to agonize whether she's endangering the financial health of her family by indulging in yet another pair of shoes. I need some help, people!!